


until the end of time

by maybemaybenottt



Series: Eddie Diaz Week 2021 [7]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Marriage Proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-09
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-16 03:20:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29943699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maybemaybenottt/pseuds/maybemaybenottt
Summary: Eddie has an important question, but the world keeps getting in the way.-Eddie week day 7 -"Are you happy?"+ family.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Series: Eddie Diaz Week 2021 [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2188956
Comments: 8
Kudos: 182





	until the end of time

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from Chapel of Love by The Dixie Cups.

It starts with a whispered conversation.

Of thoughts and insecurities, spread out onto the dark ceiling above them as they hold each other close.

Eddie asks a simple question.

“Are you happy?” A pause. Buck turns his head to look at him like it’s the most ridiculous question he’s ever heard. “This life we’re living together, is it enough?”

Buck smiles softly. “Eds, you could show me a million different versions of my life, and I’d pick this one every time.”

Eddie raises an eyebrow. “Even if you could be, like, a billionaire with a private jet or something?”

A laugh. Then, “No amount of money could fill up the space in my heart that’s reserved for you.”

Eddie waits for a moment; pretends that comment didn’t make his chest swell with adoration. “God, that’s cheesy.”

Another laugh. “But true.” He looks Eddie in the eye, and the love in that familiar gaze is so loud that Eddie has no choice but to believe him. He takes Eddie’s hand and laces their fingers together. “This life we have is everything I’ve ever wanted.”

“Everything?”

“Well, not quite yet.” He squeezes the hand in his. “I’d also like marriage, and more kids, and all of that. But for now, it’s enough."

“You want that? With me?”

Buck nods, full of certainty. “Home in the suburbs with a white picket fence and a cat, every stereotype you can think of, I want the lot.”

Eddie laughs. “Maybe not the cat. I’m more of a dog person, myself.”

Buck grins. “We’ll see about that.” Then after a moment; “But- you want all of that too? With me?”

“Yes,” Eddie says, and he’s never been more sure of anything in his life. “All of it."

“We’ll just have to make that happen, then.”

-

So Eddie comes up with a plan. Enlists Christopher’s help to pick out the ring, and once he’s got it, comes up with the perfect way to ask.

But as usual, things don’t go as expected.

“This place is so nice,” Buck comments as they make their way to the table, and Eddie has to agree. That’s why he picked it, after all. “You know you don’t have to woo me anymore, Eddie. You’ve got me for life.”

“Doesn’t mean I can’t still do nice things for you.”

Buck settles into the chair Eddie pulls out for him and smiles. “Well, I won’t say no to that.”

They make their way through dinner as their usual selves, joking and laughing, but through it all, Eddie is full of nerves.

Not over what Buck’s answer will be -he’s been pretty certain of that for a while. But over making this moment perfect. After everything, Eddie owes it -both to Buck, and to himself, to get this one thing right.

He slides a hand into his pocket and works up the courage to begin. “Buck, I wanted to ask you something-”

And the world chooses this moment to mess with him.

A woman appears at their table. “Hi, I don’t know if you remember me, but I was in a car accident a few months ago, and you two…”

Just like that, Eddie’s courage is snapped.

They have a short, polite conversation, and when the woman makes her way back to her own table, Buck turns to him with a smile. “What was it you wanted to ask?”

Eddie slides his hand out of his pocket. Swallows. 

“Uh, wanna share some dessert?”

-

He doesn’t give up that easily, though. 

He decides to take it from a different angle instead. 

The entire car ride there, Buck is restless. “Why won’t you tell me where we’re going?”

Eddie shakes his head. “It’s a surprise. Ever heard of those?”

“I don’t like surprises.”

“Yes you do.”

Buck grins. “Yeah, I do.”

And when Eddie pulls to a stop at the beach, near the edge of the water where the setting sun is reflecting its golden light off of the waves, Buck’s face lights up. 

“Oh,  _ Eddie. _ ”

“I thought we’d have a picnic on the sand. Sound good?”

Buck leans over in his seat to kiss him soundly, and Eddie takes that as a yes (and hopes it’s not the only  _ yes  _ he’ll be getting tonight.)

So he grabs his things from the back of the truck and gets everything set up. They settle onto the blanket, cool sand underneath, away from the eyes and interruptions of strangers, and Eddie feels himself settle too. With that particular type of certainty that he always feels when Buck’s bright eyes catch his.

He’s so caught up in the moment, he doesn’t notice the sky start to cloud over.

“So,” Buck starts. “What’s the occasion?

“Well, I-”

The sky chooses that moment to let out a loud crack of thunder. They both startle, looking up towards the black clouds, as rain starts to pour down on their faces.

Buck lets out a startled laugh. They scramble to pick up the food and blankets, and Buck grabs his hand as they run back to the truck seeking shelter.

Right before they climb in, Buck pulls him in and kisses him again. Right under the sky, and the eyes of the universe, that both seem desperate to ruin Eddie’s plan.

“We’ll just have to try again,” he says. 

And yeah, Eddie supposes they will.

-

Eddie walks in the door after a 12-hour shift, and decides that tonight will be the night.

He and Buck had planned a quiet night in, just the two of them, no menacing clouds or eyes of the public. The two of them, at home, where they belong. It feels right.

That is, until Buck appears from around the corner, red-eyed, pale skinned, and looking downright miserable. 

Eddie sweeps his eyes over him with concern, and when they eventually meet Buck’s, all he says is, “I think I’m sick.”

Eddie drops his duffel on the floor and toes off his shoes, reaching out to press a gentle hand to Buck’s forehead. Definitely feverish.

So he takes Buck’s arm and steers him towards the bedroom, settling him under the covers as Buck looks at him with sad eyes. 

“I’m sorry,” he says. “We were supposed to have a nice night together.”

Eddie shakes his head. “Doesn’t matter.” He brushes the hair off of Buck’s forehead, smiling softly. “We’ll have plenty more chances to do that.”

He repeats the reassurance to himself, too.

-

In the end, it isn’t planned. 

No fancy dinners or romantic gestures; no candlelight or grand lead up to a declaration of love. No, it happens at 7 o’clock on a Friday evening, when they’re half out the door to a barbecue at Bobby and Athena’s. 

He’s getting Christopher ready at the door when he remembers something. “Hey, Buck, I left my jacket in the bedroom, would you mind grabbing it?”

Buck nods and sets off down the hall, and Eddie turns back towards Christopher. 

“Have you asked him yet?” Chris whispers, eyes following Buck as he disappears around the corner. 

Eddie shakes his head. “Not yet. I’m getting to it.”

“You’re taking too long,” Chris complains. “I helped you pick out the ring ages ago.”

“I just need to find the right moment, buddy. I want it to be perfect.”

Christopher just rolls his eyes. “Perfect is overrated.”

Eddie laughs and pats him on the shoulder. Stands, glancing down the hallway and wondering what’s taking Buck so long. 

When he follows in his footsteps and stops in the doorway, his question is answered. 

Buck is standing there, in the middle of the room, with wide eyes and a small velvet box in his hand. He looks up at Eddie.

“This fell out of your pocket.”

Eddie swallows. “Oh.”

They stand there like that, frozen in place, until Eddie takes a step forward with a sigh. “I wanted-” He gestures at the ring box. “I wanted it to be perfect.”

Buck smiles, still looking like he’s in disbelief. “Eddie, when has anything about us ever been perfect?”

And it’s true, but still- “I had a whole speech planned and everything. We were gonna have a nice dinner, I was gonna lead up to it-”

“I don’t need a speech, Eddie.”

“No, I know, but-” He deflates, shrugging. “I wanted to give you one anyway.”

Buck looks at him for a moment, smiling, then places the tiny box in Eddie’s hand. “Then do it.”

“What?”

“Give me the speech.”

“Oh.” Eddie nods, swallowing, then takes a deep breath. He knows what the outcome of this will be, has since they whispered assurances to each other in the dark that night, but his heart still feels like it’s about to beat out of his chest. Maybe it’s just trying to speak for him, in case his brain can’t get the words right.

He gets down on one knee. Buck can’t seem to stop grinning. “Buck, I-”

“Yes.”

“ _ Buck. _ ” 

Buck laughs. “Sorry, sorry. You want to do a speech. Go ahead.”

Eddie shakes his head fondly. “I had everything planned out so perfectly, you know,” he says. “But the world kept getting in the way.

“And it was so frustrating, but I was determined to do it, and get it right.” He pauses, looking into those eyes of Buck’s and seeing a future within them. “And I think that sums up our relationship pretty well. No matter what, through everything, we never give up. Even when it feels like the entire universe is fighting against us, we don’t admit defeat. We fight right back. We choose to stick with each other. To have each other’s backs. We always have.” 

Buck nods, eyes shining with tears. 

“So I want to keep choosing you. I want to choose you to be my husband, choose you as the father of my future children, choose you as the person I want to grow old and grey with, to always have by my side. Because I love you, so much, and I’ll never ever stop.” He smiles then, taking in Buck’s watery smile and loving eyes, before asking the final question.

“So, will you marry me?”

“Yes,” Buck breathes out. Drops to his knees to be level with Eddie and grabs his face, kissing all over. “Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.” 

“Oh, thank god,” Eddie says, and Buck laughs, grinning at him with overwhelming adoration. 

“Better start building that fence, then.” 

Eddie laughs. “I guess so.”

He slips the ring onto Buck’s finger, and it feels like the start of forever.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> and thus Eddie week comes to a close (two days late oops). Thanks to everyone that read all of these! It was a lot of fun.


End file.
